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Tracking the Changing Landscape of Refrigerants

Tracking the Changing Landscape of Refrigerants

From ASHRAE Journal Newsletter, June 25, 2019

What’s cooler than cool? World Refrigeration Day.

June 26—the inaugural World Refrigeration Day—will be the world’s biggest celebration of all things refrigeration, air-conditioning and heat pumps as part of an international awareness campaign that focuses on the industry and its technology’s significant roles in modern life and society.

Associations from around the world that represent about two million people are supporting World Refrigeration Day, said Steve Gill, Member ASHRAE, who is the World Refrigeration Day Secretariat. Those associations include Colombian Association of Air Conditioning and Refrigeration (ACAIRE), China and Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Industry Association (CRAA), ASHRAE, United Nations Environment Programme (UN Environment) OzonAction and New York City-based Environmental Defense Fund, which works with corporate partners like Walmart, Mars and Tyson Foods to set and achieve sustainability goals.

Refrigeration and air-conditioning systems and applications have no borders. They drive modern life, comfort and survival. During the first half of the 20th century, refrigeration and air-conditioning expanded to all building types as well as transportation, health and telecommunications applications thanks to fluorinated refrigerants.

But those refrigerants contribute negatively to global warming and ozone depletion. Now, the industry is researching and developing new refrigerant blends and adapting systems to use alternative refrigerants with low global warming potential (GWP).

A webinar sponsored by UN Environment–OzonAction and ASHRAE will discuss these challenges, trends, policies and research of using alternative refrigerants responsibly. The webinar, “Refrigerants for Life: How Refrigerants Affect Modern Life,” is free and is scheduled for 9 a.m. EDT tomorrow. Speakers include former ASHRAE President Sheila Hayter and Andy Pearson, Ph.D., C.Eng., Fellow ASHRAE. Register now

World Refrigeration Day activities around the world:

Australia

  • Retailer Woolworth is opening its plant room doors to the public at two of its most technically advanced supermarkets in western Melbourne and western Sydney. Both use transcritical CO2 refrigeration systems. Read more

Germany

  • Öko-Recherche, the German environmental research and consultancy business, will host a one-hour webinar with the EU Commission. The webinar, “Increasing energy efficiency while phasing-down HFCs: showcasing the EU example,” will look at the EU’s approach to reducing hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) through F-gas legislation and introducing more energy-efficient products through eco-label and energy labeling policies. Read more

  • The German Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Association (DKV) has scheduled a press conference that includes lectures and discussions about topics such as the potential for German energy transition through heat pumps, electrification of energy supply and provision of heat and cooling by cold vapor compression process and more. Read more

Italy

  • Centro Studi Galileo and the Association of Italian Cold Technicians are hosting a free seminar, “The role of refrigeration: today’s potential and the opportunities of tomorrow“ to raise public awareness about the key role that refrigeration plays. Read more

  • The International Institute of Refrigeration is supporting the 37th UIT Heat Transfer Conference, which is organized by the University of Padova’s Department of Industrial Engineering in collaboration with CNR-Institute for Construction Technologies. The symposium on “Refrigerants: heat transfer and applications” will take place in Padova. Read more

United Kingdom

  • The Institute of Refrigeration is hosting a World Refrigeration Day UK Facebook Live event, which will broadcast live talks from the East of England Arena. The topics include careers in cooling, cooling in a warming world and more. Read more

  • The Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Industry Board (ACRIB) and Institute of Refrigeration will host and broadcast talks on the refrigeration, air-conditioning and heat pump sectors at a World Refrigeration Day Pavillion in the Temperature Controlled Storage and Distribution Exhibition and Conference at the East of England Arena. Read more

  • Burnley is hosting a one-day Skill Fridge competition to test young engineers to promote best practice and standards within the industry. Read more

Singapore

  • The ASHRAE Singapore Chapter is hosting a seminar on “Zero-ODP, Low-GWP Technology Options for Refrigerants.” Read more

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